Video Games to Put on Your Christmas List

Christmas is a special time of year, where you get to spend time with family and friends, enjoy a big turkey dinner and if you’re lucky, get a stocking full of video games as presents. Whether you’ve got a console, handheld device or PC, this is definitely a great time of the year for gaming, and chances are you might be putting one of two games on your own list this year, or be buying them for friends and family.

We’ve highlighted a few recent releases you might want to consider purchasing this Christmas, or maybe even treat yourself to this holiday season.

Dead Rising 4

What’s more Christmassy than smacking a zombie about the head with a homemade weapon? Not a lot, if you ask me, and Dead Rising 4 is exactly the holiday themed game that should be on your list. While Dead Rising has been around for many years now, it has always been good at what it tries to do, which is an over the top zombie slaughtering game, and the fourth instalment seems to continue with this theme. Whilst the omission of a co-op campaign may be a negative for players who wanted to bring along a friend for the ride, the game offers you more freedom than ever, by getting rid of the time limiting aspect that was so prominent in the previous games.

The Last Guardian

A game that has been a number of years in the making, so long, in fact, it was originally planned as a PS3 release, The Last Guardian had been hyped up as a must play game this Christmas. While the game may not have delivered on all fronts and faced a few in-game issues, there’s no denying how appealing The Last Guardian looks. Obviously, the main attraction is Trico, the loveable bird/dog/cat creature who will become your new best friend (or your worst enemy, depending on your experience with the game). While some reviews may not have been particularly kind to this game, the bond between your character and Trico is one that you’ll admire and treasure, making the game a worthwhile purchase and must play for anyone with a soft spot for big fuzzy creatures.

The Walking Dead: A New Frontier

We’ve followed Clementine on her journey from a naive child who was only waiting for her parents, to a girl who knows that it’s a tough world out there and that you have to do certain things in order to survive. She’s had more than a few hardships in her life, so what’s she got to face next? Along with finding out where her story takes her, we have newcomer Javier, a family man who, like everyone else, is struggling to survive in this new apocalyptic world. Releasing on December 20th, there’s no guarantee this game will deliver like the previous two seasons, but if you’re going to take a gamble on a game this Christmas, then A New Frontier is probably a pretty good bet.

Final Fantasy XV

Which Final Fantasy is the best? It’s a question that could easily cause a big argument between fans of the series, as everyone undoubtedly has their own favourite. Well, this Christmas, we have a new Final Fantasy on offer that changes the formula a little bit (which generally seems to be viewed as a change for the better). Travelling around a large map with 4 friends, cruising between locations in a car and beating up big monsters may sound like a laugh, and to be honest, it probably is. There’s no doubt XV will, and has already, split opinion across the gaming world, but fans of Japanese open world RPGs will find a lot to enjoy here, plus there’s an enemy that can take hours on end to kill if reports are to be believed, so it will force you to sink time into it, if nothing else!

Dishonored 2

Stealth-based games are a bit like marmite, in that they are usually either loved or hated by gamers, depending on how you like to play your games. The best stealth games offer you the opportunity to play the game how you want, and Dishonored 2 does exactly that. Whether you want to sneak around in the shadows or storm in all guns blazing, you can play whichever way you prefer, or switch when you feel you have to. Following on from Corvo’s story in the first game, and adding the grown up Emily as a second playable character, there’s plenty of gameplay on offer here, for stealth and combat lovers alike.

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition

I, like many others, was in the queue on 11/11/11 at midnight when Skyrim first released, and now Bethesda has given us the opportunity to fall in love with it all over again with Skyrim Special Edition. This remastered version offers all the content from the original game, as well as including all of the paid DLC and mod support for free. The world of Skyrim looks even more beautiful this time around, and if you couldn’t put it down back in 2011, don’t be surprised if the same thing happens to you again here. If you’ve never played Skyrim or an Elder Scrolls game, this is a perfect place to start. Skyrim has it all – werewolves, vampires and even dragons, breath-taking locations and engaging quests, so what’s not to fall in love with here?

Pokemon Sun/Moon

Like many others, Pokemon Red/Blue was one of the first proper games I owned, and as such, it has a special place in mine, and many others, hearts. Sadly, I lost touch with Pokemon when it moved onto 3DS, but for those who have stuck with it, you’ve been rewarded again with Pokemon Sun/Moon. This 7th generation of Pokemon offers a whole bunch of new features, whilst still sticking to the same basic formula that we all know and love. There’s a Pokedex full of new Pokemon to find, raise and evolve, as well as a two new worlds to explore. If running around catching Pokemon is your idea of fun, and you’re if too lazy to do it on Pokemon Go, then maybe Sun/Moon will be more your thing.

What games would you like to find under your Christmas tree this December 25th? let us know in the comment section below.

Megan is a game news writer and reviewer, who has been playing games since Sonic the Hedgehog back on the Sega Megadrive. She lives in Manchester working in a hospice kitchen, hoping to get a flat and move out sooner rather than later!